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Trump seeks additional $4.9 billion in Puerto Rico aid

The Trump administration requested $4.9 billion in additional emergency funding for Puerto Rico on Tuesday in order to avoid a looming financial crisis on the island, according to Politico.

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The new emergency aid will bundle into the aid package requested by the White House last week for hurricane aid, bringing its total to nearly $35 million.

The Office of Management and Budget sent the request to House leadership for the additional funding on Tuesday afternoon, which is being reviewed and will likely pass this week, Politico reported.

A spokesperson from the office told the news outlet that the money would go toward the government payroll and pensions, which has suffered amid the crisis.

Puerto Rico, which was already insolvent and facing massive debts before Hurricane Maria ravaged the island, originally requested a loan of $4 billion.

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló sent a letter to leaders in Congress asking for a prompt inflow of cash warning of an incoming "massive liquidity crisis."

Estimates place the cost of damage caused by Hurricane Maria between $45 billion and $90 billion, a cost too great for the territory's weak economy to bear. Puerto Rico is still regaining access to water and electricity after the storm dealt severe damage to the infrastructure and power grid.